By Kadijatu Bangura reporter D.S
Makeni – Two local leaders, Alhaji Abdulai Koroma, Section Chief of Matotoka, and Ibrahim Tholley, Town Headman of One House Village, are in police custody over allegations of confiscating local tax receipts from 30 Tribal Authorities (TAs) ahead of the Bombali Shebora Chieftaincy Elections.
The arrests follow complaints from residents, including Fatmata Jalloh and Abdulai Tholley, who claim their tax receipts were unlawfully withheld and handed over to chieftaincy candidate Usif Kamara. The act is a serious offense under Sierra Leone’s Public Elections Act of 2022 and the Chieftaincy Act of 2009, punishable by heavy fines and up to five years in prison.
The Senior District Officer, Augustine Fartoma, stated that the suspects were summoned for questioning after the complaints were escalated to his office. During interrogation, the accused offered conflicting statements, with Tholley admitting to handing the receipts to Kamara and Koroma denying any knowledge of the transaction.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities seeking to ensure a free and fair election.
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